Déjà Vu
by lovelydangerousdear
Summary: With the Balance gone, the spirit world begins to collapse. Time is re-ordered, and the Avatar is given a second chance. Hopefully this time around she won't mess up. AUish. Korra-centric
1. Chapter 1

Déjà vu.

Summary:

_With the world out of balance, the fading spirits re-order time, and give a second- chance. AU. Korra-centri, pairings decided later._

_ With panic stifling the air Avatar Aang sat, peacefully among the clamor._

_ "Is everyone ready to reconsider?" he asked, and the room was silent._

_ "Your proposal is not something to be taken lightly, Avatar Aang. Time is a delicate force, and to disrupt it-"_

_ "Juji, with all due respect, we have watched time pass. There is nothing left that will save us. Our ties to the world of the living have been severed, and consequently so has our immortality been cut short. If you would prefer our current fate, then let us all sit quietly and watch the world end."  
The spirits murmured._

_ Juji breathed. "No, no," He sighed, and raised his hand, "just this once, it shall be done." _

_ And so it was._

Korra awakens five days before her fire-bending test from a nightmare she can't quite remember. There's something inside her that tells her to delve deeper.

She ignores it, and dresses for breakfast.

The compound is the same as always, but with each step Korra feels unease and eeriness that threatens to overwhelm her. She does her best to avoid human contact after the first few 'hellos' leave something rattling in the back of her mind.

She doesn't each much, because each bite tastes too deliciously familiar for her to handle; instead she goes to find Naga and lightens when her trusty polar-bear dog licks her face.

This time she does her best to ignore the feeling that she has already done this before, because of course she's done this before. Naga has been her best friend since she entered the compound.

There's something insistent about these feelings though, something about everything, and when it follows into the next day, and the next and next, Korra is left feeling slightly paranoid.

The night before her exam Korra meditates.

She's done it before, the White Lotus has struggled with getting her to reach her spiritual self, but this time Korra reaches something.

A flash of fire, a mask, the weight of the word searing through her skull; her heart speeds and then there is a feeling of loss.

A sob breaks through her throat before she has a chance to regain herself, and then for moment, there is Aang, his mouth moving but his words stolen from her deaf ears.

In an instant the feeling of loss blossoms into full on desperation, and Korra's eyes snap open as hot tears trip down her cheeks.

The White Lotus would want to know about her trespass into the beyond, but she doesn't tell a soul. Not even Katara.

That night she dreams of someone telling her to be a blade of grass in the wind. She wakes up frustrated.

The fire-bending exam is easy, or at least it should have been. She's never met either of her opponents, before; she knows she hasn't, because just like her previous exams in water and earth, her teachers have purposely chosen extremely talented strangers.

She almost fails, because of the nagging feeling that she has fought these two men before.

Her teaches whisper about the strangeness of the examination; Korra has always been so confident those three elements, they can't understand the sudden change.

She only really passes when Katara smiles at her "attempt to show control." Those words make the White Lotus members relax, and she passes.

When they tell her that Tenzin will be contacted Korra finds herself sick with tread and guilt and something telling her to put aside some rolls and jerky. She slips some off the dinner table and finds when she feels better when she backs it away.

That night she has a nightmare about pro-bending.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimed.

When Tenzin, arrives, Korra is not surprised or disappointed when Tenzin says he can't stay.

She knew it was going to happen, because it was the first worry on her mind this morning. She stays calm though and breathes easy nodding at his excuses throughout dinner.

Korra's found out over the last few days that its best to handle everything in a calm way, because if she doesn't the nagging gets stronger, and suddenly her head will ache as though it's about to explode-

_But its okay, because Korra will take a breath and think of water, and be calm. _

She hates this a bit though, because Korra has never just been calm, and _it makes her feel like she's not Korra anymore._

When Tenzin leaves, Korra slips into the kitchen steals more sweet rolls, and a few dumplings, and packs them away with her other foodstuffs. She slips out into the cold, biting air, and finds Katara, sitting with Naga.

She is entirely un-surprised and it makes her feel terrified. The irony of this is not lost on her. Everyone, _Tenzin, the White Lotus, Katara, _are afraid of the unknown, of the turmoil and uncertainty of what will happen to Republic City, and here she is afraid of knowing.

_And yet, she thinks she is completely justified, because what's the point of living if she knows her every failure and success? How can she go through the beauty of life knowing exactly what to expect?_

Katara smiles. "Keeping me waiting are you?"

Korra opens her mouth and then stops.

The nagging isn't there.

"Katara-"

"It's alright, as the Avatar you need to find your own path, I understand, and I know you'll be a great Avatar one day."

The nagging returns, and stays with her as she tunnels out, Naga in tow, and sneaks onto a ship heading straight for Republic City.

Korra frowns and tries to meditate on this.

Her mind breaks and splits into images of a beautiful girl, all pale skin and green eyes. Betrayal, anger, hurt, all flood her senses, and Korra breathes shaking when she sees the face of a broken young man. He's lost everything. She makes him a promise.

What is it?

_What is it?_

_Aang what is it?_

And suddenly her past self is reaching towards her, his face anxious, his large hand grasping her arms, trying to get through to her. And then, there's something inside her, somthing ugle and horrible and all-consuming.

She can't move, but she is moving.

_She becomes a puppet-_

And then the boat lurches, and Korra tries not to vomit at the feeling of her head being split open.

Her stomach groans at it's emptiness but she feeds all the food she's packed to Naga, then they run off the boat into the the grey-cast surroundings of a place that she's wondered about her whole life.

They wander around-Korra knows she should go to the Air Temple, but just thinking about it makes her head spin, and crack and the wandering is helping so much.

Then she wanders into three benders terrorizing an old man-

_They light his shop on fire, and she looses it._

The nagging is back, but only at the back of her mind, so she charges, she's careful about keeping them away form the other shops and does her best to end it quickly with the three collapses and unconscious at her feet.

Then she turns grimly to the shop and puts out the fire with water bending.

When it's done she falls to her knees because-

_so much of it is gone-_

the hurt returns, but not in her head, its in her heart, and she falls to her knees. She's failed as the Avatar, she was supposed to protect this man, she's supposed to protect everyone, but in that moment she knows she'll never be able too.

Who could?

Who could possibly save every single person?

She can't.

Can't.

_can't._

It echos numbly through her head, and then suddenly everything goes away. She grabs the men one by one, says something in a voice that isn't hers, and they fall having lost everything.

Korra trembles on wobbly legs that can no longer support her, then falls, vomiting at what she's just done.

_"You have been equalized." _

Is the only thing that runs through her mind as she blacks out.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimed.

Korra wakes up to white walls and a permeating stinging smell that makes her lightheaded.

A figure looms over her, glasses and a mask-

_a gloved hand extended ready to electrocute her-_

Korra finds herself screaming before she can stop it. And the figure retreats. The is murmuring and Korra writhes, and flails against her restraints-

_"Don't underestimate her, electrocute the box"-_

_-"Electrocute the box"-_

_-"...as my hostage"-_

_-"I'm saving you for last"-_

Blood wells in her mouth, and she knows she's bitten through her tongue. She gags, and suddenly the world around her spins; cool fingers pry open her mouth healing the damage before it's too late.

Tenzin is suddenly looming over her, his face gaunt and tight with worry.

"Korra," he says, "What are you doing here?"

Her head settles in a haze, and she looks at him, really looks at him. His face looks so old, he looks so tired, Korra reaches out.

"Mwug-" the fingers are still in her mouth and trying to talk makes her gag, so she turns away from him and stares at the ceiling until the healing is done.

She still can't talk afterwards because her tongue is swollen stiff, and too numb for her to form long coherent sentences.

The metal bender-cops around her murmur and buzz about busily, and Korra catches the eyes of a stony older woman with gray hair. Immediately Korra knows she's important.

They lock eyes.

Something is pushed into her hands and she looks at Tenzin as the woman approaches.

She holds the slate in her hand as Tenzin passes her some chalk. "Healer Mauvi says you are not to talk until he can see that your tongue is healed properly. You'll have to write down what you want to say, now Chief Lin Beifong is going to ask you some questions alright?"

Korra's fingers grasp the chalk; the two wait for her to finish.

_'You're Toph's daughter?'_

Chief Beifong crosses her arms over her chest. "I don't see how that matters."

_'It matters to me.'_

Lin glares at her. "Well I don't give a damn, so instead I'm going to ask you once: Why the hell were go wandering around in triple threat territory?"

'_Triple Threat territory?'_

"The three goons you fought."

_'I had no idea, I was just wandering.'_

"And why were you doing that? Shouldn't you have gone straight to the Air Temple instead of looking for trouble?"

_'I didn't go looking for trouble, it was just standing in my way.'_

"Cute, but answer my damn questions before I lock you in a cell."

_'No.'_

Lin's face flushes with anger. "You brat!" She growled grasping the front of the Avatar's shirt, and hoisting her up.

"Lin please! We must try to be civil about this."

"Fuck Tenzin, I'm not letting her down until she tells me what I want to know."

Korra lets her eyes fall on the floor.

"Lin, you're not being professional."

Lin looks at Tenzin, and drops Korra glowering at her angrily.

"Korra, I think it's best for you to leave now. I promise I will complete you're training as soon Republic City has stabilized."

Korra makes the '_No'_ on her slate darker and turns it around to him.

"Korra-" Tenzin begins, but she's already writing again.

_'I need to be here. Katara was the one who let me come.' _

"Don't bring my mother into this."

Korra glares at him. _'Then Aang wants me to be here.'_

Tezin's features become stony and Korra knows that he's angry with her.

She doesn't care, because she's angry too. Her head is still swimming with the things she's seen, with what she's done.

'That's enough Korra, the White Lotus has told me about your troubles with the spiritual side of bending. Lying to me is only going to make me send you home faster. Chief Beifong, if you have no objections, I believe It's for the best that I put Korra on a ship to the South Pole effective immediately."

Lin snorted. "Just get that petulant brat out of my city."

"I took 'way bending." Korra speaks slowly, her tongue awkwardly thrashing through the individual syllables of each word.

This makes Tenzin pause and Korra takes the chance to write:

_'I took the bending away from those thugs. I couldn't control myself.'_

Tenzin and Lin share a look of unease.

"Korra have you been having visions? Perhaps of the city? Of Aang?"

Korra pauses, her fingers twitching around the chalk, and she contemplates what to tell them, but the fear that she has failed, the fear of what she has done stops her.

_'Thoughts. Dreams. Whispers.'_ she writes. _'I'm scared. I don't know what they want.'_

"What who wants?"

'_You.'_ Korra writes, the pain in her tongue is sharp and biting, but it cannot distract her from everything that's swimming in her brain. The images. A mask. A broken boy. A pretty face.

Aang.

_'The bender's. The non-benders. The Avatars and the spirits, you all want something from me.'_

"Korra," Tenzin says gently, "Part of being the Avatar is taking on a lot of responsibility,"

_'You say that like I wanted to become the Avatar.'_

Her words are haphazardly written as she furiously blinks back her tears.

_'What if I don't want to be the Avatar?'_

_Korra freezes, something in her, something more than her mind burns-her soul?- and suddenly her bending is, gone everything is gone. Her body meets the water and the Equalists win. _

_She joins Aang, Kyoshi, Roku, and all the others and they watch Avatar after Avatar fall apart, their bending stolen, their families murdered, the Equalists tearing them away from the spirit world. _

_Two, three, four more Avatars join them, and Aang looks at her-because it's her fault really, she failed them, she failed the world- "You have to go back" he says._

Korra awakens to white walls and warmth. Pema is sitting next to her reading.

"Are you alright Korra dear?" Pema asks shifting closer-it's hard with her swollen belly- "You looked awful when Tenzin brought you here."

Korra shrugged.

"Are you hungry? It's a little early for dinner but I'm sure Tenzin will understand."

Unsure of what else to do Korra nods staring blankly at the wall as she tries to remember her dream.

She can't.

Suddenly Korra is just as afraid of not knowing, as she is of knowing.

At the back of her head there's a whisper of a voice telling her something important, if only she would listen.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimed.

"Korra," Tenzin begins after dinner- it was a tense affair, mostly because the children wanted Korra's attention even though she could hardly stand to look at them.

_She'll fail them._

-"I want you to have this." And he hands her an old journal.

"It was Avatar Aang's, he like to write down things he thought important, this is one he started just before he died. I thought perhaps if you also wrote, you might find it easier to connect with him."

Korra takes it but won't look at him.

_Connect with him or connect with the spirit world?_

She's bitter. The last thing she wants is to stumble into the spirit world,

-_and see all the faces of her past lives filled with anger, disappointment-_

so she takes the journal, and shoves it away in a corner of her room before preparing for bed. She strips to her under clothes- a pair of thin linen shorts and top.

She's exhausted, but despite this she's afraid to fall asleep.

_Afraid of what will come next._

When she does, her dreams are violent and nonsensical; they crash around her like the ocean disturbed by a hurricane.

Finally, at the very end of the shouts, fire, and pain, Korra sees a fifteen year old boy.

His bound hair is blacker than ink, and his eyes are bright emerald green. His mother is the Earth Queen, and that would make him the Earth Prince except,

_-He's the next Avatar-_

He doesn't even look fifteen. He's still baby-faced, but his smile no longer reaches his eyes, and his hands are just as scared as his heart-

_he bears the war on his shoulders, he bears her failures on his shoulders-_

Korra's eyes flutter, and she's suddenly awake her head throbbing as the sunlight dances across her bed. She's on the floor, she must have slept there too because her arm is asleep and her side is sore. The journal is caught under her arm, and on it's first blank page she's written three words:

_Noatak. _

_Earth: Korin._

The only thing she remembers is the face of a green-eyes black-haired boy whose life she's ruined.

Korra sits up. From what she can see there's bloodstains on her pillow. She tests her tongue; the pain lets her know that she's bitten through her it again. This time she heal it herself and grabs the pillow case, washes it and leaves it out in the sun to dry.

The height of the sun lets her know she's slept late. She gathers her slate and chalk; Pema directs her to where Tenzin is, meditating with his children.

"Welcome Korra,"

She takes her seat across from him next to the eager Airbender children.

"We're going to meditate."

Korra grimaces, her head still hurts, but she tries anyway because,

_-everyone is depending on her._

She won't let them down this time.

Wait.

_This time?_

She doesn't know why it bothers her, but her heart is pounding, and there's something inside her that just knows that she is no longer right as though,

_-she's been shattered and put back together again-_

but that's all wrong.

If she died, why isn't she,

_dead?_

Her heart goes faster and faster at the thought.

She's going down, down, down, into the darkness, where the water won't listen to her, to a place where she cannot summon light, or move the earth.

She goes to a place where the air is still.

She thinks about killing herself, because she is nothing without the elements, without her bending.

She does.

And goes to a place where all the past Avatars are waiting, illuminated by an unearthly glow,

_-Avatar Aang is before her his thumb pressed in between her eyes, his other hand at her breast, and he's pushing her back, back, back-_

Back before this, because-

_"-this is your battle Korra."_

Tenzin is pulling her up fumbling with her hair, and trying to get her to breath right, because the way she sounds now is broken,

_-she can't let HIM break her, again-_

and Pema is cradling her as they order the children to fetch a pail of water.

Korra is shaking uncontrollably, writhing, thrashing and gasping.

She feels everything hit her at once, the smells on the air, the cool wet cloth Pema presses against her brow, the heat of her body and the solidness beneath her legs.

She doesn't want to be afraid anymore.

_"-I won't fail this time."_

Is that her voice?

Korra relaxes suddenly.

She shouldn't have failed to begin with,

_-but she'll take the second chance. _


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimed. Ok so if this starts to get to dramatic, I demand that someone tell me. I've never written a serious story as long as this one might be.**

Korra knows that she's doing something more than dreaming.

She's lost in a great nothingness around her that signifies everything; it puts her at peace.

Her heart is heavy and her mind is stuck repeating all those horrible things's she let happen-

_The handsome, broken boy,_

_betrayal etched into the contours of a pretty face,_

_a mother who watches her children's souls whittled down,_

_A young boy, all green eyes and blank smiles-_

"You are not the first of us to fail, Avatar Korra."

Korra springs to her feet, enraged and ready for a fight, any fight,

_-so long as she goes down fighting-_

but the old man who approaches her is serene. His long white hair is perfectly tamed and his clothes are something that belong in a museum.

"You need not fear anything from me Avatar Korra."

His eyes are molten gold; they glisten with understanding when they look at her.

"Who are you?"

"Have you truly forgotten who you are?"

Korra's face twists in frustration. "What does looking inside me have anything to do with you?" her arm lashes out in what should have been a whips of fire.

She feels empty and falls to the ground. The man gets closer and sits next to her, drawing his knees us to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. He looks ridiculous doing so.

It makes Korra want to smile and cry all at once.

"Perhaps I am being to expecting, after all decades have passed, and we had only met for the briefest lapses in time."

His eyes are golden, just like the hair piece that gleams in his hair.

His eyes are golden, but they might as well be blue.

"Avatar Roku." She deflates.

He smiles at her, and old stiff smile that does not reach his eyes, but still she feels that it is sincere.

"Avatar Korra," he replies.

The silence that invades them is palpable until finally Korra breaks it:

"Why are you here?"

"Why wouldn't I be here?"

Korra blues eyes flash.

Roku's face is stony. "Korra, you must realize that we will always be with you no matter where you are, no matter who you become, we are one."

In a flash dozens of glowing eyes are upon them.

They disappear. "I've failed the world. I've failed you. I've brought shame and dishonor upon the Avatars. I've ruined the future-"

"Enough." Roku's voice slices through her self-pity in an instant. She finds it odd that he still sits to childishly though his voice carries the weight of thousands of years of knowledge. "You are not the first Avatar to face failure."

"But the next Avatars-"

"Are also at fault. Once your time passed it was their responsibility."

"I should have-"

"Perhaps." Roku allowed. "But to keep one's mind on the should have, or could have, distracts one from the will be. Korra we must learn from our mistakes not dwell on them."

"I've made so many."

"As have I." Roku replies. "If I had been stronger, I would have cut down Firelord Sozin, form the beginning, I would stopped the war from ever happening and protected Aang from the pressures of growing up under the burden of war."

"That's different. Aang won, he was strong enough. I'm not fit to be the Avatar."

"None of us are." Korra's head whipped aroung to the new voice.

Avatar Kyoshi. "Avatar Korra, we have all made mistakes. None of us can attest to being the perfect being we were meant to be. I created, the Dai Li, which became the most corrupt of any bending organization alive during Avatar Aang's time."

"You couldn't possibly have known-"

"Avatar Korra I lived for two-hundred and thirty years, all those years should have given me the insight to see pass what I wanted to see. The Dai Li had turned away from it's intended purpose decades before my death, but my pride, kept me from seeing the truth. You must learn from this."

Korra shakes her head, but before she can speak another voice joins in:

"Avatar Korra, in you I see much of myself."

She turns and watches a water-tribe man approach.

"My name is Avatar Kuruk, and I too was greatly gifted in my bending. My time was one of great peace, as such I used my gifts foolishly, entertaining woman, and entering contest. I made the mistake of mocking the spirits and they took my beloved Ummi. I died filled with regret, having lost everything that mattered, and not bringing a scrap of honor to the Avatar line."

"We will always live contrary to what the Avatar truly is Korra."

That voice.

Aang.

In and instant Korra springs up to her feet turns and throws her arms around her predecessor.

His hugs her back, his large hands warm and soothing on her cold, dark skin.

"Korra, the Avatar is meant to be perfection. The ambassador to the spirits and the greatest mediator of the world, but the Avatar is only human. We will always make mistakes."

"Aang, how do I do this? You ended a war when you were twelve, how am I supposed to do it?"

"Korra, I ended the war when I was a hundred and twelve. My greatest mistake was that I ran away from my destiny, from my duty. For a hundred years people suffered because I was not there to protect them."

There were hot tears running down her face. "But Aang, I _failed-_"

"Yes, and so we gave you a second chance. Avatar Korra, this is your fight and it is different from any that we have ever seen before. Kyoshi, Roku, and almost every Avatar since the beginning has solved the conflicts between nations; fire against earth, earth against water, earth against earth. This fight you have, is something deeper, nationalities no longer matter, people are now picking at the deepest parts of their souls, some are jealous of benders, others are angry with them."

Aang sighs. "Some benders no longer have the honor and respect their gifts deserve. Korra I can't tell you how to fight this, because this is your fight. You must pave the path for the next Avatars, but you must do so in your own way, just like our future selves must find their own ways."

"So that's it then? I'm just going to go straight back into a war, when I failed the first time? Aang, wouldn't it be better if i just...let the next Avatar find his way?"

Their is silence, and Aang pulls away.

"You can't run away from this Korra. The reason we came back to give _you_ a chance was because we have faith that you will resolve this. Don't give up."

Pema is sitting with her again when Korra comes too.

"Korra?"

Korra sits up and looks at her, with a weak smile.

"Should I get Tenzin?"

Korra hesitates a moment before nodding; Pema stands up.

Korra blinks when the pregnant woman pulls her into a hug. "I can't imagine what it must be like to be the Avatar, to have everyone depend on you, but I want you to know that I'm always here to talk, or for hugs your choice."

She tries not the cry as Pema leaves to fetch Tenzin.

She can't hold it all back to she buries her face in her pillow, and sucks in air between muted gasps.

The door opens and Tenzin slips in quietly.

Korra straightens, and paws at her eyes, angrily to hide the fact that she's been crying.

Tenzin says nothing as he hands her back her slate and chalk.

"Are you alright?"

Korra glances at him ans writes with shaking fingers:

'_Are you alright? You look so old, I'm sorry for worrying you.'_

Tenzin's shoulders slump as he sighs, stoking his beard.

"Korra be serious, are you alright."

Korra doesn't move.

Tenzin's eyebrow twitches.

"Korra."

She keeps her slate the same, and stares at him.

"I'm tired Korra, I'm really really tired. But I'm worried more about you now."

_'Don't be.'_

"That's not an option."

Korra doesn't reply.

Tenzin swallows. "At the risk of this being in bad taste, did you see Avatar Aang? Did you reach the spirit world?"

Korra looks down as she writes, and tries to blink back the tears that begin to fall washing away the chalk smears on her slate. She hands it to the Air-bender.

_'I don't remember.'_

The frustration threatens to overwhelm her; she's been told something important, something that made her feel like she could make it. She can't remember a word of it now.

Seh draws up her shoulders to hide herself, but Tenzin puts his arms around her.

Those hands are large, warm and familiar,

_"Korra-"_

She breathes.

_"-Don't give up."_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimed. Review please and tell me if this chapter is...not so good. I dunno this is subject to change.**

As her tongue heals, the next few days pass with a lethargy that makes Korra angry. Korra has always been outspoken, wild and passionate with her words, to have then taken from her is practically painful. And now her dreams have stirred up her mind, making her more and more acute to the ailing city.

Tenzin is tired, and Korra can see why. This place was Avatar Aang's greatest dream, Tenzin wants it to prosper more than anything, but it's hanging on by a thread. She hears the radio broadcasts, and knows about the Equalist movement.

It scares her but,

_"-This is your fight."_

_"Korra-"_

_"-Don't give up."_

those words sit vaguely at the front of her mind, and she draws strength from them.

So when Korra can't stand sitting around any longer, with Pema watches her every move waiting for another 'episode,' she slips out into the bay around Air Temple island.

She bends the water to swallow her up and then sinks to the bottom, walking to the shore. It's not the most inconspicuous sneak out, but the Avatar's presence in Republic City has still been kept to rumors and speculation, what with her delicate state of being.

She breaks the surface of the ocean and stumbles onto the beach. A few old men sitting together curse benders and shake their disapproving heads at her.

Korra frowns back at them as her brow knits together, but the longer she stays looking at them, the angrier they seem to get, until one is up on his feet cursing her and her heritage. Her head whirls sharply but Korra stand her ground as he storms at her, she won't fight until he throws the first punch and then-

"Hey! Leave her alone!"

The angry, old man looks past her at the young man who approaches them.

Korra sucks a breath in sharply when she sees him -

_green, green eyes and black hair, with a childish face and a full grin._

"Korin?" she asks, her voice less than a whisper, grasping his arm before she can't think.

_Who is Korin?_

He gives her an odd gentle smile, and turns back.

"Look man, picking on this poor girl just because she's a bender ain't cool. She wasn't bothering you was she?"

The old man sneers. "You benders are all the same, you think you're entitled to the world don't you?"

The green-eyed youth opens his mouth again, but Korra grasps his hand firmly with a strength that surprises him and drags him away.

"H-hey!" He says, trying to pull away, Korra ignores him and grips tighter until the angry drunkards are far behind them.

She lets go with a sigh, taking a moment to examine him.

This boy is not Korin, and although she doesn't know who exactly Korin is, she gets the feeling that he will be a bit more of a priss than this boy.

"Miss?" he asks, timidly his cheeks ever so slightly pink, "Are you alright?"

"Fine." Korra replies shortly.

The silence that infiltrates them is thick and uncomfortable.

"Hem, Miss are you sure you're ok?"

Korra turns back to reply only to find that the boy has taken hold of a little red something.

She blinks, as the boy asks again in a falsetto, waving the poor creatures arms about like a puppet.

She blinks, sucks in air and laughs, trembling and grasping her stomach as her shoulders shake with mirth.

It makes her feel good to laugh, at something so insignificant, like she's back to being Korra.

The boy is grinning at her too, now, and when she manages to reign herself in he extends a hand.

"The name's Bolin, and the little guy is Pabu."

"Korra."

"Sooo, you from around here?"

Korra shakes her head. "Fresh off the boat, actually."

"Ah right, should've known with that Water tribe get up. North or South?"

"Southern."

"Too cool," Bolin says taking a step closer to her, while giving her his most charming smile. "Do ya like pro-bending?"

Pro-bending. She did, she did like pro-bending-

_a handsome, broken boy-_

Korra can't let herself get distracted.

"I've got to get to City Hall." She says suddenly, "Sorry."

And she's off, because she's already wasted so much time-

_just like last time-_

"W-wait! City Hall's the other way!"

Korra stops.

"Want me to show you?" Bolin offers, quietly, a shy smile tugging at his lips.

"I really have to hurry." Korra tries not to let her smile look to pained.

"So we'll run."

She hesitates. His eyes are so very expectant, so hopeful-

_She's going to protect him, she's going to fight-_

_"I am the solution,"_

_"In the spirit of fairness I'm going to give you a chance to fight_ back-"

"Alright, lets go." She breathes, focusing on teh crisp salty air.

Bolin beams at her, and suddenly Korra knows she's going to break his heart.

As soon as they reach the steps of City Hall Korra, dashes up the stairs, leaving Bolin in her dust,

_-her body feels like it's twisting inward, she can't move can't breathe can't bend-_

_-Bloodbending-_

_-"Say goodbye to Republic City, you'll never see it again."_

Korra staggers at the sharp suddenly invading her mind, nearly tumbling down.

Clenching her jaw she continues, pushing her way past the busy-bodied assistants and politicians crowding the front lobby, she finds a door into the council room, and stumbles in.

A man dressed in Water Tribe blues, has the attention of the other councilmen; they hardly even notice her less than graceful entrance.

"-so my fellow council men I beseech you, it is imperative that we fight this Equalist uprising, and who better than to front our cause than the Avatar?"

"Tarrlock." Tenzin stands up, his grey eyes are cold and hard on the other man. "Korra is a child, not a fully realized Avatar."

"You, yourself said that it looked like she was breaking into the spiritual side of the Avatar, that she even conversed with your esteemed father. Surely this is a sign that she is on the verge becoming a fully realized Avatar."

Korra catches her breath and remains silent as Tenzin shakes his head slowly.

"Those moments of her slipping out of our world have hardly been natural. It wouldn't be right to thrust all of this on her when clearly she isn't at full health."

"The proof of her power is undeniable, but then again maybe you can't control her, after all she stripped the bending of three people, grated they were criminals, its still vigilante justice that has deeply shaken the public." Tarrlok gives a heavy sigh. "Unless we make it clear that she is allied with the government, benders all around will feel threatened."

"And what of Korra? She's not well enough to-"

"Tenzin she's the Avatar, I'm sure she will be just fine, this Equalist movement however is rapidly gaining momentum. Attacking the triads? Organized rallies? What would Avatar Aang say about the state his city has fallen into?"

Korra takes another deep breath, steadying herself,

"Well I'm the only one who would know that, right?" She says approaching the table.

The council swivels towards her.

"Who exactly-" one of them begins to ask.

"Korra," Tenzin breathes. "You shouldn't be here. Come I'll get you back to the-"

"This City needs the Avatar and I'm here," Her head, is going 'round and 'round and 'round, but she manages to stay up right. Her eyes aren't focusing though so she closes them to hide their glassy appearance.

Warm familiar hands grasp her.

"Tenzin. This is my destiny." She says, her voice is strong, but something in it is resolute. "This is _my_ fight."

_Yes._

_Fight, Korra Fight-_

that voice, who was speaking to her?

"Well as nice as that is, there is no fight."

Korra turns to the Firenation council woman,

_lighting shooting through each of her muscles,_

_Bolin terrified and on the stage as that monster approached him-_

_a rich girl content with her world, losing everything because she couldn't fight for what she didn't believe in-_

_the last air-benders all lined up, even little Meelo trying to face **this** with dignity-_

"There will be." Korra opens her eyes, but they're no longer hers-

"The Balance has been disrupted."

And she falls, falls, falls-

_Aang is looking at her-_

_"Korra, you must-_

Must what?

_Aang?_

" ... orra! Korra!"

She pulls her hands away to find herself, crouched in a corner of the room. The council stands murmuring around ehr as Tenzin helps her up.

"I'm fine," she croaks, but her legs won't hold her when she tries to stand, and she tumbles into Tarrlok.

He clears his thoart

_hands clenched in an unnatural fashion-_

_her body rendered useless-_

_a poor **half-baked** Avatar-_

"Avatar Korra, perhaps what Tenzin said before is true." Tarrlok says softly as she pushes herself up, away from him, "You need rest."

Korra locks eyes with Tenzin, his eyes are hard and disbelieving.

"Let me take care of this silly Equalist threat, all I need is your endorsement, a few pictures for the press and you can take as much time as you need to recuperate and finish your Avatar training."

She inhales sharply. It would be so, so easy to let him take the responsibility from her shoulders-

_an entire district of non-benders rounded up like cattle-_

_children screaming and terrified as they're locked in cells, separated form their mothers-_

_all the more proof that** He** is right-_

_He wins, she dies, and so does Korin, so does Kuzon, Noki, and Sung-hi._

"No." Korra falls again. "I won't let this city fall, I can't-"

_"...giveupdon'tgiveupdon'tgiveup."_

She'll make that her mantra, then, to speak even as her broken head spins, 'round, 'round 'round-

_her body meets the ocean, and she'll try again._


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimed. **

"...without further ado, your Avatar Republic City!"

Tarrlok, steps aside and Korra steps forward.

"Hello," she swallows, "I'm Avatar Korra-"

"Avatar Korra, are you here to fight the Equalists?"

"Well I-"

"Do you think the Equalist movement is within it's rights?"

"I-"

"Are you going to be aiding the police?"

"Avatar Korra will you be fighting the triads or the Equalists? Or both?"

The cameras her flashed as the press bombarded her with questions and Korra never felt so far from home. Everyone here, whether for their papers, or for themselves, wanted answers from her, wanted her to be their new hero.

She never felt so, _consumed. _

"People_ please!" _she shouts over them quieting the crowd, "look, my name is Korra, I'm seventeen, and from the Southern Water-tribe. I don't exactly have a plan yet, but this place was Avatar Aang's dream, and I promise that I am going to do my best to bring peace to our City. I look forward to serving you."

The cheering that breaks out around her, is loud and incoherent.

Korra winces, as Tenzin ends the press confrence and lead her away.

_"I'm so happy to be here!"_ Echos in the back of her head, but Korra really can't agree.

Since she's arrived, her head has burned with varying degress of pain, almost everyone she's met so far has has either seen her have some sort of mental episode, and now everyone knows who she is, everyone knows who they're depending on.

She leans closer into Tenzin.

They don't speak until they are safely away from the press, the public, and Tarrlok.

"Korra-"

"M' Tired Tenzin." She mumbles, "I'm so tired."

Tenzin bobs his head. "Alright, get some rest Korra."

She falls onto her bed, briefly just before she falls into a deep sleep she hears him say:_ "If you ever need anything I'll be here."_

But that's gone, far gone, as she falls catching herself on weak legs.

"Korra!" Her head snaps up. "Korra! C'mere lookit what I can do!"

She runs, frantic and excited all at once.

A boy is waiting for her, thin and bald, and decorated in blue-airbender arrows. He grins when she stumbles towards him, and bends the air into a spins ball. It grows and he jumps on it, riding it just as she's seen Jinora, Ikki and Meelo do.

Aang.

_Aang._

It's Aang.

"C'mon Korra," He says with a grin, "come with me."

He grabs her hand_- it's much smaller than usual-_ and leads her away into the expansive white of the rolling tundra. The icy sting of the tundra air burns her nose and ears. Her feet sink into the snow, and Korra is _home_.

_"This is where we both began."_

The South Pole. Tears spring up in her eyes, and Korra has never felt such longing, such joy, as well as such need. With her free hand she wipes her sniffling nose, and hot tears. Her hand is clothed with soft, soft mittens, the kind her mother gave her for her first hunt.

"I don't understand, why are we here?"

Aang looks at her a little sadly. "To help you remember."

"Remember what?"

Aang sighs and looks away, and when he looks back at her he's older.

Wizened.

His grey eyes hold worry, sympathy and something akin to love. "To help you remember that we are never far away."

"I know, I know," Korra sighs frustrated, and feeling so alone.

Her blue eyes flutter with warmth, and the find Aang's again.

When their eyes meet, she feels the connection. She can feel strength, the weariness, the knowledge entrapt in his body and if she delves just a little further she can feel the others too, stretching back so far she looses count of just how many there are before her. this is the moment when Korra finally realized she's calm. Her head is pain-free, and her fear have almost dissipated into little more than vague lingering impressions.

Aang's hold on her hand tightens, and Korra squeezes back.

Then everything comes crashing down.

Her responsibility, her destiny, her future, all bombards her full force, and Korra looses her breath. Her mind, her heart, her very being is set on fire, with desperation, panic, anger, hate, until she can't control it, until she can't control herself. Her had grips Aang's tighter, until she's sure she's broken at least a bone or two, and she tries to breath, sucking in air, and yet not able to fill her lungs.

_She's going to die._

_Republic City will fall, and she'll die and so will Korin, Kuzon, Noki, and Sung-hi-_

**_No._**Korra sucks air in to her lungs-_almost like she's air-bending_- She won't do this, not again. She won't submit to her stupid self pity; _she won't do it._

Korra purses her lips and lets her nostrils flail as she tries to call herself. Her closes her blues eyes, her heart slows, the pain recedes.

When she stands again she's trembling. "I failed didn't I? I failed, and now I have to try again."

Aang, nods. "We've also had this conversation before."

Korra looks at him, and forces herself to try and dig out that conversation. Aang holds her gaze patiently, encouragement in his eyes, and gives a gentle squeeze to her hand. She breathes, and pushes away the picture of her home, and digs deep; she sees an old man-

_Roku. Kyoshi. Kuruk._

_"_I woke up." She says her blue eyes looking at Aang, but seeing Tenzin instead. Her vision began to fade, to blur and she felt as though she was in two places at once. The icy sting of the tundra air on her cheeks begins to dissipate.

Aang tugs her hand sharply. "Korra wait!" He says her voice loud and commanding. Korra looks at him dizzily with a big-eyed gaze. The pain in her head has returned with a vicious force.

"My head, Aang, my head is going to burst." She mumbles, her legs giveing out allowing her to tumble into him.

He releases her hand to embrace her again; he's soft and warm and wonderfully familiar, just like Naga.

"I know it hurts, I know." He sighs, heavily. "You have to remember what I am going to tell you this time to make the pain go away."

She whimpers into his shoulder.

"You need to find a natural way here."

Korra pulls away to look at him, to scrutinize the laugh lines around his mouth and the worried sagging beneath his eyes.

"I don't know what you mean." Korra mumbles, "This isn't a natural way?"

Aang shakes his head, pulling her back into him with firm arms. "No, Korra, the connection we have is forced, strained by your wayward spirit."

"_My_ wayward spirit?" Korra grumbles muffled in the embrace of her former life. Aang chuckles quietly.

"Well it is partially our fault, before you died a fully-realized Avatar. The spirit cannot forget it's previous experiences, it's why the Avatar has always been able to seek the knowledge of his former life."

The throbbing pain begins to increase and Korra bites her lip sharply.

"I'm sorry for the pain Korra, please try to remember." Korra pulls a way, and a twelve year old Aang smiles at her a little sadly, his large grey eyes warm, and sad.

Korra's vision blurs again, and then Tenzin comes into view, slumped tiredly over her bed. Korra breathes and pushes away the pain, to the back on her mind, then breathes again. She sits up, and pushes back her hair, and studies Tenzin sleeping, restlessly in the chair beside her.

Scratch that, meditating, Korra thinks, as Tenzin opens his eyes and meets her blue-eyed gaze. She studies the slant of her jaw, his long beard and the narrowness of his chin. His eyes are grey.

"You look more like Aang's father than his son." She says.

Tenzin blinks and tilts his head.

Korra can tell he's not sure if he should be insulted or not.

"Did you speak with Avatar Aang then?"

Korra bites her lips-it hurts as thogu she's been doing it a lot lately- and tries to dig through the remnant of her half remediable dream.

_"...have to remember-"_

_"...failure-"_

Korra's shoulders slump and she curls into herself. "I'm a _failure_."

Tears spring up into her eyes-

_again-_

Tenzin leans forward and puts a hand on her shoulder, concern flitting through his eyes.

Aang's face flashes through her mind, young and vibrant, yet old and so incredible kind-

_"Korra, find your way to me._"

The pain spikes, "Tenzin I'm going to get dressed."

The elder Air-bender hesitates, then pulls his arm away.

Korra stand just as the pain spikes again but it's worth it-

_"...then we can go penguin sledding together."_

Korra wipes her eyes and smiles a bit grimly, tired and scared, but-

_she really wants to make him proud._


End file.
